A ski boot is normally held supported on the ski by means of a front and a rear binding, each of which holds an end of the boot sole. Conventionally, the bindings are assembled directly on the upper ski surface.
It is known, moreover, that the ski boot and the bindings affect the flexibility of the beam of the ski and its performance on the snow. This ski performance on snow is, furthermore, different depending on the type of skiing practiced, i.e., slalom, downhill, giant slalom, etc., and on the size of the skier. In addition, it is known that the performance of a ski is assessed in different phases of skiing, and, in particular, in the turn-release and ski-control phases.
Attempts have been made to produce different kinds of interfaces, which are placed between the bindings and the ski, so as to modify the effect that the bindings and the ski boot produce on the beam which constitutes the ski.
For example, Patent No. WO 82/03182 discloses an interface device which tends to attenuate the effect produced by the bindings and the ski boot, so that the ski when flexed exhibits a uniform curve, which is as close as possible to its curvature in its unfitted state.
Other interface devices are also known, which play a more active role regarding ski performance. A device of this kind is disclosed in Patent Application No. WO 83/03360. This device comprises a plate, on which the bindings are mounted. An elastically-compressible material is placed beneath this plate. One end of the plate is solidly attached to the ski, and the other end can slide freely against the elastic return force of small blocks of a compressible material.
This device yields good results, but does not distribute the pressure generated by the ski on the snow in optimal fashion in the different phases of skiing, i.e., in the release and control phases. Furthermore, the distribution of pressure does not change as a function of ski flexion.
Another interface device is disclosed in Patent No. EP 409 749. In this device, the plate can swing elastically longitudinally in relation to the ski. This device also yields good results; its disadvantage lies in the fact that the plate is not connected longitudinally to the ski by a direct support, but by elastically-compressible supports. The ski boot thus wobbles in relation to the ski. Nor does the action of this device change as a function of ski flexion.